10 Amazing Benefits to Walk it off Your Weight

Walking is undoubtedly one of the best forms of exercise, simply because it has a tremendous effect on overall health and well-being and also because it's for everybody, regardless of their level of fitness or their age, and it's really enjoyable.

Here are 10 AMAZING BENEFITS OF WALKING

1. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Walking is a fantastic low impact form of working out that can help you lose weight. A simple brisk walk can burn many hundreds of calories. American scientists experimented with obese patients, whereby they were asked to walk together as a concept knows as the walking bus to their respective destinations in and around the city. After only 8 weeks the participants were examined and what they found that over half of the participants lost on average 5 pounds. So simply incorporating more walking into your daily routine can dramatically impact your weight loss endeavors. Next time you need to use your car, ask yourself, can I walk instead?

1. HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

A walk each day can dramatically improve your heart and cardiovascular health. Heart & cardiovascular disease are 2 of the most common killers in the world, and that is largely a result of our society become so stationary and inactive. 

We can dramatically improve our odds of suffering from these life-limited diseases, simply by incorporating a little bit of walking into our lives. 

1. MENTAL HEALTH

Getting outside in nature each day for 30-60 minutes can do wonders for not only your physical state but also your mental state. Taking a walk can force you to slow down and forget the stresses of your daily life, it can help couples reconnect at the end of the day, away from the distractions like  TVs, Cell Phones and a myriad of other things, and actually talk to each other. Even if you don't have somebody to go for a walk with, spending some good quality alone time is great for renewing the mind.

Walking is definitely one of the most effective techniques to reduce stress and even combat depression.

1. MENTAL CLARITY

With the benefits to your mental state that a regular walk can make to your life, you will experience greater mental clarity. Sometimes we just need to slow down and get away from the many issues life presents to start seeing the solutions to these problems. Slowing down by taking a walk, is easy and the benefits are immediate. 

1. STRENGTHENS MUSCLES

With age comes a decrease in muscle mass over time. Walking is a simple intervention that you can do, in order to reduce or eliminate muscle loss or muscle degeneration. Walking can help you strengthen, tone and tighten leg and back muscles, which is particularly important for the elderly.

1. STRENGTHENS BONES

As with muscles, your bones also become weaker as you age. But the great news is that you can help keep them stronger along with those muscles by simply walking regularly. Walking is extra great for bones and joints because it is low-impact and can prevent bone loss and osteoporosis, a debilitating disease that affects so many elderly people in our community. 

Stronger bones lead to improved posture, stamina, and balance.  

1. BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM

Walking has been shown to help your immune system function optimally, to help you fight off infections, bacteria, and diseases that can wreak havoc on the immune compromised.

If you are walking outside too, it is a great opportunity to get some safe sun exposure to increase your vitamin D levels which are also associated with boosting immune function and overall health and well-being.

1. DELAYS AGING

It kind of goes without saying that all of these independent health benefits, when combined contribute to walks ability to slow down the aging process. A study which was conducted using Harvard graduates showed that students that walked for a minimum of 30 minutes per day, lived longer than those students who lead more sedentary lifestyles. 

It is thought that walking could activate the telomerase enzyme, which is responsible for maintaining DNA integrity, critically important for the body’s aging processes. 

1. REGULATES BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure is a very common ailment that affects millions of people around the world. Walking has been shown that it can help to lower blood pressure in many individuals. Exercise, in general, is great for blood pressure problems, but particularly walking is good because it is low-impact and a non-strenuous form of exercise, meaning it is safer for people that do suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension.

Researches from a medical college in Japan conducted an experiment on individuals with mild hypertension, whereby 83 of the study’s participants walked at least 10,000 steps per day for a total of 12 weeks, and they showed a significant drop in blood pressure with increases in fitness and stamina.

10,000 may seem too much for many people, particularly the elderly or obese, however, one should look at getting between 30-60 minutes per day of walking, in order to regulate their blood pressure. It is in many cases as effective as some blood pressure lowering medications, without the dreadful side effects, but talk to your doctor before replacement your medications with walking.

1. FUN

The last reason why walking is amazing is very simple. It is fun to do so. Walking out in nature, particularly in a beautiful setting such as the park, woods, the beach or along the water is particularly magically. The endorphins kick in almost immediately, filling your brain with those feel-good hormones that we crave.

We can feel the benefit it is doing our body and our mind with every step. It is something you can do with your husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, friends, children or neighbor, to help bond and enjoy the many benefits walking provides together.

Many exercise programs people may undertake are quite intensive and strenuous, and people can quickly become demotivated because they are not enjoying the experience. However walking is low impact and easy for all fitness levels and ages, meaning you are more likely to keep it up for the long run!